A live auction is planned at and to benefit Covenanter Cemetery on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. The cemetery is located at 6933 N. Covenanter Road north of Salem in Washington County. Funds raised will be used for cemetery upkeep. Come enjoy the auction, and feel free to bring an item to sell and/or money to bid!
The Covenanter Cemetery dates back to 1819 and contains the remains of approximately 100 people, including servicemen from the Civil War, the War of 1812, and WW II. Family names such as Banta, Boggs, Branaman, Brewer, Brown, Bush, Coffey, Faris, Ferguson, Huston, Lane, Lowden, Lusk, Mark, McDoyle, Peden, Phillips, Reid, Spencer, Stuart, Thompson, Tippon, Vaughn, and Wilson are common, and are likely ancestors of current area families.
The cemetery underwent a restoration last year, with amazing progress being made. Headstones were repaired, reset, and cleaned; a fence was put up; and the accompanying church building was restored. The next phase will include the addition of a garden, exploration to find unmarked graves, and the addition of a marker to commemorate those without headstones.
The auction will be conducted by Larry Bennett. For additional information, contact Carolyn Lindley at (812) 883-5780.
To find Covenanter Cemetery take State Road 135 north of Salem, turn west on Walnut Ridge Road then south onto Covenanter Road and follow the signs to the cemetery.